How does industrial intelligence affect total-factor energy productivity? Evidence from China's manufacturing industry

The flourishing industrial intelligence profoundly impacts manufacturing production, while empirical studies about the nexus between industrial intelligence and energy issues remain insufficient. This study evaluates total-factor energy productivity based on the stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) approach and then analyzes the energy productivity effects of industrial intelligence by employing the panel data of China's manufacturing industry. We find that the total-factor energy productivity shows vast regional differences, and most regions have experienced a decline. Additionally, industrial intelligence significantly improves total-factor energy productivity, and the core results still hold after a set of robustness tests. Mechanism tests reveal the positive effects are mainly due to technological change and industrial structure upgrading. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that the impact of industrial intelligence is more pronounced in regions with higher economic development, more advanced information technology, and greater human capital. These findings provide insightful references for further intellectualization and carbon reduction in China's manufacturing industry.